Saint Agatha Parish was founded in 1940 by Bishop James J. Hartley and was the first Catholic church in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Monsignor George J. Kennedy was appointed founding pastor and celebrated the first Mass on December 1, 1940.

 

Saint Agatha School opened in 1941 and was the first Catholic school in Upper Arlington. It was staffed by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, KY who lived on campus in a newly completed convent. The school opened with 46 students in six grades and consisted of four classrooms and a parish hall. Sister Laurine Moran, SCN, was the founding school principal. The school’s enrollment steadily grew and an athletic program was established in 1945.

 

Additions were made to the school in 1950, 1952 and 1955. In 1961, the school had a record high enrollment of 685 students. A new church building was dedicated on May 27, 1962.

 

Saint Agatha School was first honored with the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award in 1985. In 1994 construction continued, with the Monsignor Kennedy Parish Hall, a new cafeteria, library and additional classrooms added to the School.

 

The School was honored again in 2000 with a second National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award. Further renovations were made to the school in 2008. In 2015, the school received the National Blue Ribbon designation again, becoming the only Catholic School in the Columbus Diocese to have received the award three times. In the Fall of 2016, Saint Agatha School welcomed its first class of full-day kindergarten students.  Our first Preschool classes began Fall 2019.